Sunday, January 28, 2018

My Top 10 Toylines of 2017

Getting
to do these "Top 10" lists is one of my favorite things to do on this
site. This is the sixth year I've created a list (the earlier ones were
originally at The Epic Review) and the effort I put into it seems to increase a little bit each year. It's
always fun (and sometimes mildly alarming) to look back at all of the
cool stuff I've picked up over the past year and decide what are my
favorites. That's a key word here, by the way: "Favorite." I
will readily admit that my list is not a best of list but a list of my
favorites. One of my favorite end of the year awards events has been
Michael Crawford's Poppies over at MWCToys.com as it's more of an
Academy Award styled event with multiple judges from different areas
voting on the best. Last year I was finally able to serve as a judge for
the first time and it has absolutely been a dream come true. When I
help nominate and vote in those awards, I try to be as objective as I
possibly can. Over here, though, well these are my picks and they're
based on criteria that I alone set. Let's get this show rolling after the break....

Over
the past couple of years I've divided my Top 10 into two separate
categories: My Top 10 Toylines and My Top 10 Individual Releases. Today
I'm starting with my top 10 Toylines as it's kind of my standard best of
list. These are the 10 toylines (action figures, statues, minifigures,
etc.) of the past year that I most enjoyed collecting. They may not
always be the best, or the most expansive lines, but they're my
favorites for one reason or another.

In the
past my list has been fairly eclectic, spanning a number of properties.
Things have changed a bit this year, though, as I've really been much
more intentional in what new toy releases I buy. Yes, I still buy loads
of stuff but unless it's something that really and truly impressed me,
in 2017 I really tended to stick to lines I enjoyed collecting overall
or lines based on my favorite properties like Star Wars and DC Comics. I
sort of made a decision that in 2017 I would narrow things down a bit.
That means that there were some great toylines that I passed up in order
to focus on the lines and properties I tend to collect. If you're a
reader of this site, you can probably guess what this means: Lots of DC
Comics and lots of Star Wars. In years past I definitely had a bit more
variety here but as my focus has narrowed a bit, so has the range of
stuff I've purchased. So be it.

As always, I try to be as fair as possible when dividing up product lines. Also, I arrange these alphabetically. Just because. Now, let's get into the actual list starting with my number one pick:

1. DC Comics Designer Series by DC Collectibles

DCDS also made the list in 2014 and 2016

This is the third time that the DC Comics Designer Series has
made this list over the past few years. Delivering artist specific
depictions of characters, the DC Comics Designer Series this year
focused only on two specific artists: Amanda Conner and Ant Lucia. While
the Amanda Conner series (consisting of four Harley Quinn variants) was
a bit disappointing, the Ant Lucia themed Bombshells series delivered
some of my favorite action figures of the year. Even the second series
of Bombshells which featured fewer accessories and diminished
articulation still managed to impress me. Since DC Collectibles has pretty
much cancelled all future action figure releases (including the third
series of Bombshells that were scheduled for this line), it's highly
possible that this is the last year this line will make the list unless
DC Collectibles surprises us in 2018. Still, the eight Bombshells
figures we got are incredible and earned the Designer Series this spot
on the list.

2. DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

DCCM also made the list in 2016

This is the second year that Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line has
made the list and, while it may not always look like it, I feel that
things are improving for this line. As I was looking through the list, I
realized that there were very few figures in this line that received
above a Good and a 1/2 rating from me. I'm not sure there was a single
Epic, either. To be honest, this line is one of those that perfectly
symbolizes my disclaimer that this is a list of my favorites lines and
not necessarily the best lines. Of course, there are definitely some
things I really like about this line: The character selection is pretty
good with a mixture of classic and modern characters as well as plenty
of DCEU themed releases. While there are some terrible figures in this
line, there are also plenty of solid figures that allow you to add to
the ever growing collection of Mattel DC figures encompassing DC
Universe Classics, DC Superheroes, DC Signature Series, and more. I
enjoy collecting and critiquing these and 2018 looks to be a
better year based on recent pictures of the currently shipping Clayface
series.

3. DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

Yes, this list going to be heavily DC themed. It's honestly just where
the bulk of my collecting interest lies these days. While the majority of my DC purchases are action figures in the 6-7 inch scales and Batgirl
stuff, I was intrigued this year by the DC Nano Figures from
Jada Toys. Combining my love of the DC Universe and minifigures, Jada
Toys has offered some excellent die-cast metal minifigures that retail
for around a dollar along with a killer Batcave to display them in.
Besides just the standard crew like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman,
Jada Toys has also offered up secondary characters like Martian
Manhunter, Rex Mason, and Katana. The DC Nano Metalfigs have been
one of my favorites surprises of 2017 and a line I'm very anxious to
here more about them at Toy Fair 2018.

4. MAFEX DC Comics by Medicom

Many previous figures from MAFEX have been met with mixed reviews and
quality control issues but sometime last year Medicom really started
cranking out some impressive stuff. In 2017 MAFEX delivered some very
solid releases under the DC license including an incredible Knightmare Batman from Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and some great Suicide
Squad releases. The MAFEX Harley Quinn and Deadshot are definitely way
more interesting figures than the S.H. Figuarts versions for sure. 2018
looks to be like a pivotal year for MAFEX's work with the DC license as
they've got some awesome stuff lined up from the Dark Knight Trilogy and
Justice League. Of course, their prices seem to be increasing as well.
Do collectors have enough confidence in MAFEX to support them as their
figures edge closer and closer to the $100 mark? Only time will tell.

5. Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

MLS also made the list in 2014 and 2016

Oh my gosh! It's not a DC Comics based toyline. It's a Marvel Comics
based toyline! I think everyone is saying it so I'm really just
parroting here but it's pretty clear that Hasbro is absolutely killing
it with the Marvel license. They are putting our series after series of
quality product and are absolutely running circles around pretty much
everything else anyone is doing at retail. I'm not much of a Marvel
collector so I probably purchased fewer than ten Marvel Legends figures
this year (and all from Guardians of the Galaxy) but even just that
small sampling was incredible. The likenesses on figures like Gamora,
Star-Lord, and Nebula were amazing. If I were a Marvel collector I could
go on and on as I would have been buying stuff all of the time. For
now, though, I'm really curious to see how Hasbro tops 2017 in 2018.

6. M.U.S.C.L.E. by Super7

MUSCLE also made the list in 2016

The return of M.U.S.C.L.E. has been one of my favorite events to occur
in toydom over the past few years. I'm a M.U.S.C.L.E. nut and the
chance to get some cool licensed minifigures in the classic M.U.S.C.L.E.
style is a real treat. Super7's work on M.U.S.C.L.E. has been a bit
scattered, though with The Worst and Street Fighter II delivering some
of the greatest minifigures ever, Masters of the Universe and Aliens
offering some solid and fun minifigures with some slightly waxy looking
molds, and the Mega Man figures being absolutely, hands down, the most disappointing
things I purchased this year. Despite the utterly flawed Mega Man line,
Super7's great work on the other lines helped M.U.S.C.L.E. to flex its
muscle and retain a place on the 2017 Top 10 list.

7. One:12 Collective DC Universe by Mezco

Hey! Here we go! Another DC Comics based line. I believe it is
accurate to say that no toyline in 2017 generated more buzz and
excitement than Mezco's One:12 Collective line. While the line has been around since summer of 2015 it really didn't feel like it exploded with
widespread recognition until around February or March of 2017. If I
were ranking this list rather than simply keeping it alphabetized, the
One:12 Collective DC Universe line would definitely be close to the top,
if not there. While Mezco definitely has lots of issues to get under
control in regards to scheduling, managing preorders, and handling
delays, you can't say that their product is anything less than
fantastic. Holy smoke has Mezco put out some amazing figures this year.
I've picked most all of their DC releases except for the BvS Superman
(I'm avoiding most non-Batman related movie figures) and Black Adam (who
I'll probably pick up within a month or two as One:12 releases slow
down a bit) and I've been pleased with every one of them. 2018 looks to
be another full steam ahead year for the line and I'm excited to see
what's in store.

8. One:12 Collective Marvel by Mezco

Wow! A Marvel line made it onto this list twice this year. That's
pretty unusual, isn't it? Just like with the One:12 Collective DC
Universe line Mezco's work on the Marvel line was equally impressive.
While I only purchased a few figures from this line, the figures I did
pickup (The Punisher and his Fully Loaded variant, Daredevil, and
Deadpool) are amazing. The Marvel line seems to have more hard to come
by variants and frustrating limited editions in it, though, making collecting
this line a bit less fun than collecting the DC line. Still, Mezco has
done some great work here and has probably released the "best ever"
versions of many of the characters they've put out this year. I really debated
whether One:12 Collective should be considered it's own line but I
decided against it: With five distinct properties (and more to come), I'm
considering One:12 Collective to be more of a product range similar to
Diamond's Select lines or Bandai's S.H. Figuarts branding rather than a
hodgepodge brand like Movie Maniacs.

9. POP!: Star Wars by Funko

POP!: Star Wars also made the list in 2016

I try to be as fair as possible when I determine what constitutes a
toyline because some are really expansive and constitute multiple
properties. If I was just going with Funko POP as a whole it would be a
juggernaut with hundreds of licenses and thousands of releases a year.
That seems a bit unfair so I typically break Funko down by their
categories: POP! Movies, POP! Games, etc. Star Wars gets it's own POP!
category and it also gets a spot on my list. While I'm not sure I went
out and purchased any regular Star Wars: POPs this year (I did receive
one as a gift) I do receive the Smuggler's Bounty crate subscription
every other month and I love the design and quality of the figures.
While I dislike how many exclusives and chase variants Funko releases, I
do appreciate their character selection and the creativity of their
choices. I wish Hasbro's character selection looked a bit more like
Funko's.

10. Star Wars: The Black Series

SWB has made the list in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016

Again, if this list were done in order of my favorites rather than
alphabetically, Star Wars: The Black Series would be duking it out with
the DC side of One:12 Collective for dominance. While there are always
things Hasbro could be doing better I am absolutely loving this 6 inch
Star Wars line. The sculpts have improved greatly over the past year and
it feels like we're seeing more and more figures released with shorter
lulls. The 40th Anniversary may have been a bit less exciting than it
should have been but when I looked at the number of figures released
this year and how incredible a good many of them are, I was quite
impressed. This is a very fun line to collect and speculate about and I
hope it keeps coming for long into the future. Of course 2018 will see
the return of The Vintage Collection, so we'll see how collectors and
the market respond to its reentry into toy aisles.

So,
what do you think? What were your favorite toylines of 2017? Leave a
comment and let me know. Now, here are some facts and figures I like to
track every year, just for fun:

# of lines that have appeared on this list multiple years: 6

# of lines from NECA: 0

# of lines from Mattel: 1

# of lines from Hasbro: 2

# of lines from Funko: 2

# of lines from Mezco: 2

#
of lines in which Batman appeared: 3 (There were no Batman figures
released in One:12 Collective or the DC Designer Series this year, oddly enough)

#
of lines based on films from 2017: 5 (Both Star Wars lines had
characters from The Last Jedi, DC Multiverse had figures from Wonder
Woman and Justice League, Marvel Legends had figures from Guardians of
the Galaxy Volume 2 and Thor Ragnarok, and DC Nano Metalfigs had figures
from Justice League).

#
of toylines that I never saw hide nor hair of at Wal-Mart: 5. This is
up a bit from last year but now shows off a pretty even split.

#
of toylines based on R- rated films/M-Rated games, etc.: 2 M.U.S.C.L.E.
has the Aliens subset while Marvel Legends has figures from the TV MA
rated Netflix shows like Jessica Jones.

#
of toylines that I was a completest on and bought everything offered:
2- For Star Wars the Black Series I picked up every unique figure and I
bought all of the DC Comics Designer Series figures from 2017.

#
of toylines that were available through Kickstarter or an online
subscription method: 1- This one plummeted last year but I'm raising it
up to 1 this year considering that a number of POP! Star Wars figures are only
available through the Smuggler's bounty box. The subscription method
seems to have largely fallen otherwise out of favor (although Super7 is
attempting to do preorders for 4-8 MOTUC figures at a time) while the
Kickstarter lines have just become too massive for me to keep up with!
I've wanted to support some of them but the buy ins are just way too
high.

I have Katana on my best of the rest list that published today. The only two I bought this year were Wonder Girl and Katana. Wonder Girl was good but Katana really stood out to me. I'm hoping that we see a few more releases next year. We really need an updated Batgirl and Catwoman along with Mera, Cheetah, Killer Frost, Bumblebee, Hawkgirl, Vixen, and maybe even Spoiler.